GOP moves to cut spending to 2008 levels

The House GOP is moving ahead with its efforts to reduce spending with a resolution that instructs House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to come up with a plan that would reduce non-security, discretionary spending to 2008 levels for the remainder of fiscal 2011.

The House is expected to act on the resolution as soon as next week. The Rules Committee will take up the resolution on Wednesday.

Under the measure, Ryan will be permitted to enter into the record a non-security discretionary spending level for the remainder of fiscal 2011, which "assumes a transition" for that type of spending to the fiscal 2008 level. The measure would allow Ryan to set fiscal 2011 spending without a vote in the House, a change that was authorized under new House rules approved earlier this month.

In the run-up to the election, House Republican leaders campaigned on promises to tamp down Washington spending and are now working to keep those promises, which amounts to a roughly $60 billion cut.

They are also considering retroactively cutting money out of the temporary spending measure that is funding the government through March 4.

The idea of retroactively cutting money that has been approved but not yet spent is one of several options under consideration, according to GOP sources. By reaching backward to find savings, Republicans would be able to spread out their cuts over a longer time period, making it much easier to meet their spending cut goals, instead of having to cram all of them into the second half of this fiscal year.

Other options on the table include passing a separate package of rescissions or including at least one full appropriations bill -- possibly the Defense spending measure -- along with a new catch-all continuing resolution that would fund all of the remaining government agencies.

Discussions on how to proceed and where to cut are continuing. Including cuts in a new continuing resolution appears to have an advantage over passing a slew of separate rescission bills, which some Republicans favor for symbolic reasons but which would stand little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate. Senate leaders would be unlikely take up a package of GOP rescissions unless the threat of a government shutdown forced their hand.